Fastening device



April 25, 1939- G. TINNERMAN FASTENING DEVICE Filed June 11, 1958 A R fI// III ATTORNEY 5 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES FASTENING DEVICEGeorge A. Tinnerman, Rocky'River, Ohio, assignor to Albert H. Tinnerman,Cleveland, Ohio Application June 11, 1938, Serial No. 213,219

7 Claims. (01. 85-36) V This invention relates to fastening devices andparticularly to those that are constructed of sheet metal cold rolledmetal and the like. The device has particular application in holding twoarticles together through the medium of a projection that either formspart of one of the articles or extends through an opening therein, andthat projects into and through an opening in the other article. Thefastener may be used in holding articles that are made of plasticmaterials, die castings or any other materials which are used incommercial practice'in many industries. Examples of articles with whichthe present fastener may be used are nameplates, drawer pulls or anyarticle where access for positioning the fastener may be had principallyfrom one side only of the device to which the article is intended to beattached.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fastening devicewhich may be positioned upon a projecting portion of one article andinserted through an opening in another article and which will, by theact of insertion, automatically effect a locking connection between thetwo articles.

Additionally the invention contemplates a fastener which may be formedfrom a single thickness of blank material of such size and shape thatthe desired degree of flexibility and locking action may be obtainedwithout loss or waste of material.

A further object is to provide a combination of article and fasteningdevice by means of which the article and fastener as a unit, may beapplied to another article through an opening and thereby result in anautomatic locking connection therebetween.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view partly in section andpartly in elevation of two articles that are held in assembledrelationship by a device that is made according to my invention; Fig. 2is a section taken on the line 2-2 in Fig.- 1; Fig. 3 is a section takenthrough a modifled form of assembly construction; Fig. 4 is a sectionshowing a modified fastener construction; Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof still another modified form of fastener construction; Fig. 6 is ahorizontal section taken through a stud to which the fastener of Fig. 5is applied; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form ofafastener, and Fig, 8 is a section taken through two parts that are heldin assembled relationship by means of the fastener shown in Fig. 7.

The fastening device illustrated in the various figures is preferablyformed from a substantially rectangular section of sheet metal, or stripstock in a continuous direction, as a result of which of the desiredwidth. The blank is suitably slit and deformed to make the desiredyielding and holding formations and is then shaped preferably to theform of a split'ring which is adapted to fit over a projection 5 that isformed on or asso- 5 ciated with one article 6 and is adapted to extendthroughan opening I in another article 8 to effect a locking or holdingaction therebetween.

Referring now to Fig. l, the fastening device has a body ill in the formof a split ring with yieldable arms ll formed therefrom. Each armpreferably has a portion thereof extending outwardly, as at [2, andanother portion extending inwardly as at l3, the inwardly extendingportion being located adjacent the free end of the arm whereby ashoulder is formed intermediate the ends of the arm. The arms areyieldable with respect to the body and normally tend to spring outwardlytherefrom, as a result of which, they are moved inwardly by engagementwith the wall of the opening through which the fastener is passed andare then automatically moved outwardly to engage the article behind theopening thereby resisting movement of the fastener in a reversedirection through the opening.

The yieldable arms may assume various shapes and forms depending uponthe particular use for which the fastener isintended; thus for examplein Fig. 3, the arms are extended outwardly and an intermediate shoulderis not formed. In this illustration, therefore, reliance'for the lockingaction is placed upon the free ends of the arms which are intended toengage a rearward face of the article through which the fastener ispassed.

To hold the fastener upon one of the articles prior to the insertionthereof into the opening in another. article, I prefer to utilize prongsor other suitably formed means integral with the body of the fastenerfor engaging the projection with suflicient gripping action to resistmovement of the fastener axially of the projection. Thus in Figs. 1 and2, the holding means-constitute prongs 20 that are formed in the ends ofthe blank from which the fastener is made. Again in Figs. 4 and 5, theholding means comprise prongs 25 which are struck inwardly from the bodyat spaced intervals.

In practice, the prongs or other holding means permit the fastener to beapplied to the projection 5 by movement of the body in an axialdirectionwith respect to the projection but resist 'movement in an oppositedirection. It is to be understood that the resiliency of the body tendsto bind the holding means against the projection and that the diameterof the fastener is so chosen with respect to that of the projection,with which the fastener is intended to be used, that the fastener mustbe sprungoutwardly in order to fit it onto the projection. Additionally,the opening I in the article 8 to which the article 6 is intended to beattached has such relation to the diameter of the fasten r that thefastener arms will be sprung inwardly as the fastener is passed throughthe opening.

A further modification of the means for locking the fastener against anarticle is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 wherein the body has flaredportions 40 formed adjacent one end thereof. These flared portions orwings are capable of being moved radially inwardly to permit passage ofthe fastener through the opening and of moving outwardly automaticallyat the completion of the inserting operation.

While I have illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, an article having aprojection in the form of a stud that is formed integrally with thearticle and that is adapted to receive the fastener, it is to beunderstood that I may, if desired, make the projection separate from thearticle and extend it through an opening therein. Thus, for example inFig. 3 I have shown the article 6 as having an opening, I thereinthrough which amember having a shank 5| is adapted to extend. A head 52on the shank engages the article so that application of the fastener tothe shank holds the member firmly in place. Thereupon, the fastener andmember, as a unit, may be passed through an opening in the other articlein the same manner as that used where a molded projection is employed.

A further modification of my invention is shown in Fig. 7 wherein thefastener is provided with an abutment 30 which may take the form of aflange that is flared outwardly to engage one side of an article so asto limit the movement of a fastener into the opening in such article. inFig. 8, the flange .is shown as engaging the front side of the article 8while the arms ll engage the opposite side. This form of constructionmay be inserted into the opening prior the stud 5, wherefore thefastener is automatically held in stud receiving position on thearticle. Thereafter, insertion of the stud will automatically effect alocking action between the parts by virtue of the fact that the stud isof sufficient size to force the body open. vIt is to be understood thatthis form of fastener has holding means thereon such. as the prongs 20which have been described in connection with the illustration 'in Fig.1.

While I have illustrated and described my fastener as having particularvalue in locking parts together where access to one of them may be hadfrom only one side thereof, it is to be understood that it is equallyapplicable for use in connected parts where access may be had to bothsides of each part. The advantage of the fastener is that it effects anautomatic locking action between the two parts merely by an axialmovement of the fastener, and that where it is inserted through one ofthe parts it can be snapped into position in a simple and expeditiousmanner. The yielding characteristics of the body of the fastener, and ofthe retaining means associated therewith, not only looks the fastener toone of the parts but also locks parts together at the same time.Additionally, the yieldable characteristics prevent loosening of thefastener and of the parts notwithstanding the fact that the parts whenin use are subjected to vibration. The device therefore has adaptationin automo-. tive work for holding various assemblies together andparticularly for locking items, such as name plates, against removal byan unauthorized person. As applied to articles that are molded fromplastic material, the fastener has wide application because it can beheld securely in place with out requiring irregular formations in themolded parts.

I claim:-

1. A fastening device having a body, comprising resilient substantiallycylindrical split ring, the body having resilient fingers formedtherefrom intermediate the ends thereof, and having article grippingportions disposed between the fingers,

2. A fastening device comprising a substantial- 1y cylindrical sheetmetal split ring having resilient fingers formed therefrom and'havingarticle gripping portions disposed between the fingers 3. A fasteningdevice having a body compris- 7 ing a resilient sheet metal ring havingfingers formed therefrom and having portions thereof disposed betweenthe fingers and having inward- 1y extending prongs disposed on at leastone of the edges thereof,

4. A fastening device having a body comprising a resilient split sheetmetal ring having axially extending fingers bent outwardly therefrom,said fingers extending inwardly adjacent the ends thereof, said bodyhaving portions thereof disposed between and around the ends of thefingers and having inwardly extending prongs at spaced intervalsthereof.

5,. In combination, a part to be joined having an opening therein andanother part to be joined having a stud of substantially uniformcross-sectional area throughout its length adapted to extend into theopening, a fastener in the form of a split ring disposed on the stud andbehind the opening, the fastener having a gripping engagement with thestud, and yieldable arms formed from the fastener and having shouldersthereon insertable into the opening to hold the article and fastener inassembled relation.

6. In combination, a part to be joined having an opening therein, and asecond part having a stud adapted to extend through the opening and toproject beyond the other part, said stud having a substantially uniformdiameter throughout its length, afastener in the form of a split ringengageable with the stud by movement of the fastener in an axialdirection of the stud, the fastener being smaller than the stud butbeing resilient and adapted to be expanded for application to the studand to be held thereon solely by the spring 'tension of the-metal, saidfastener having yieldable fingers that are insertable into the openingin the first named part regardless of the thickness of such part wherebythe parts may be held in tight fitting assembly.

7. A sheet metal fastener comprising a split ring of substantiallycylindrical form having a radially exending flange adjacent one endthereofand having fingers formed integrally and ex- GEORGE A. TINNERMAN.

